The short version
- Researchers propose legislation to automatically review cases where convicted officers played a central role.
- Current systems lack mandatory protocols, leaving decisions about case reviews discretionary and opaque.
- The initiative aims to correct historical wrongs faster than the decades-long process seen in recent high-profile appeals.
A new report recommends enacting legislation that would automatically trigger independent reviews of criminal convictions linked to police officers who have been imprisoned. The proposal, known as Trew’s law, is designed to address systemic failures in identifying and correcting miscarriages of justice caused by corrupt or dishonest law enforcement personnel. Advocates argue that the current discretionary approach allows innocent individuals to remain incarcerated for decades while the state fails to acknowledge its own errors.
The recommendation stems from extensive research conducted by experts at the University of York in partnership with the miscarriages of justice charity Appeal. Their findings highlight a significant gap in legal safeguards, noting that there is no central mechanism to record when officers receive custodial sentences or whether their past casework is subsequently examined. This lack of transparency means that decisions to review cases remain unpredictable and often depend on individual initiative rather than established protocol.
The urgency of the proposal is underscored by the case of DS Derek Ridgewell, a British Transport Police officer jailed in 1980 for stealing mailbags. Despite his conviction, an immediate review of his past investigations was not initiated at the time. It was not until years later that thirteen victims, including members of groups known as the Oval Four and the Stockwell Six, had their convictions quashed. A fourteenth case involving Ridgewell was referred to the Court of Appeal in early 2024, illustrating the prolonged nature of these legal corrections.
Winston Trew, one of Ridgewell’s victims who spent nearly fifty years fighting to clear his name before his conviction was overturned in 2019, has lent his name to the proposed law. He argues that justice should not rely on the luck or perseverance of victims to uncover police wrongdoing. Instead, the responsibility for identifying and rectifying errors should lie with the state, ensuring that those affected are notified promptly when a material risk to their conviction’s safety is identified.
Dr. Joanna Gilmore from the University of York noted that despite apologies from senior police figures, such as Lucy D’Orsi, chief constable of the British Transport Police, who called the failure to review Ridgewell’s cases inexcusable, legal frameworks remain inadequate. Judges have frequently noted in sentencing remarks how officers used their positions to facilitate serious offenses, yet the system lacks mandatory procedures to prevent history from repeating itself.
Between 2023 and 2026, researchers identified at least sixty-four current or former police officers who received immediate custodial sentences for offenses including serious dishonesty, physical violence, sexual abuse, and abuse of position. The absence of a centralized tracking system means that many potentially tainted convictions may never be flagged for review, leaving innocent people with ruined lives based on unchecked evidence from corrupt sources.
The proposed legislation would implement a triage process to focus resources on cases where the officer’s integrity was central to the conviction. This would exclude instances of purely administrative or peripheral involvement. Additionally, affected individuals would be required to receive disclosure and timely access to legal advice if a material risk is found, covering areas such as witness evidence, investigative documents, and exhibit handling.
Matt Foot, co-director of Appeal, emphasized that the criminal justice system currently takes far too long to correct these errors. He believes there are likely many more victims still awaiting justice. The campaign for Trew’s law aims to stop further delays by ensuring that files involving imprisoned officers are investigated immediately. A launch event for the campaign is scheduled for south London, marking the location of a 1973 protest against the framing of the Oval Four.
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment regarding the report and its recommendations. While Crown Prosecution Service guidance acknowledges that reviews may be required when witnesses are discredited, it does not mandate such actions. The proposed law seeks to close this loophole, establishing a clearer, more accountable path for addressing police misconduct in past convictions.
This development represents a significant shift in how miscarriages of justice are addressed in England and Wales. By moving from a discretionary model to a mandatory one, the proposal aims to restore public trust and ensure that the state actively corrects its mistakes rather than waiting for victims to exhaust their resources in long legal battles.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Enact Trew’s law to automatically review ‘bent copper’ convictions, says report
